Searching-One-shot-
by FallenQueen2
Summary: Post 1X03. D'artagnan goes missing and Milady is behind it. Athos will have to face something from his past, but will he save D'artagnan in time? COMPLETE


**Musketeers- Searching- One-shot **

**D'artagnan goes missing and Milady is behind it. Athos will have to face something from his past, but will he save D'artagnan in time?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own BBC's Musketeer or anything related to them.**

* * *

**Searching**

Athos squinted in the harshness of the sunlight as he made his way to join Aramis and Porothos for breakfast. It had been a week since D'artagnan had dragged him from the burning house that was his past. He had barricaded himself in his lodgings with a few dozen bottles of wine to help forget his dark past.

"Look who finally decided to show his face!" Aramis spread his arms widely at his friend as Athos entered the barracks. "Are you paler?"

"Very amusing old friend." Athos's response was dry and sarcastic.

"Athos! Aramis! Porothos!" Constance shouted as she entered the Musketeer's barracks, something clenched tightly in her right hand.

"Ah, Madame! What do we owe this pleasure?" Aramis placed his hat over his chest as he bowed his head in greeting.

"Don't give me that! You have D'artagnan off on some undercover assignment again don't you?" She looked like she was on the edge of anger.

"I can assure you Madame that we haven't done anything of the sort." Porothos assured the flushing woman before them.

"Why do you ask if I may inquire Madame." Athos felt a stone settle in his gut.

"He went into his room last night and never came out. I was worried so I went in… His sheets had blood on them and I found this on his pillow." She unfurled her fingers to show a small bundle of forget-me-nots.

Athos felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped over his head. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

"Show us his room." Porothos was on his feet in an instant, Aramis alongside.

"Of course." Constance nodded her head. Athos tore his eyes away from the flowers and re-attached his cloak and followed his friends and the distressed woman.

D'artagnan's room was not as blood soaked as the Madame had made it out to be. The sheets on his bed were rumbled and ripped. The source of the blood was on the pillow. Aramis picked a piece of cloth off the ground near the open window. He sniffed it briefly before making a hissing noise as he threw it down in disgust.

"A mix of herbs to render one unconscious if breathed in long enough." Aramis explained.

"Looks like whoever took him hit him over the head to keep him quiet and held the cloth to his face before escaping out the window. More than one person was part of this." Porothos theorized grimly.

"We will find him." Aramis stated firmly. Athos was unsure if the man was saying this to Madame or to him.

"I assume you will bring him back in one piece." She smoothed down the front of her dress.

"We plan on it Madame." Athos swore, speaking up for the 1st time since he saw the flowers.

"Well, you better get moving then." She said briskly before rushing out of the room.

"I'll see what I can dig up on the street, someone may have been around when D'artagnan was taken." Porothos nodded.

"I shall check out apothecaries to see who bought this mixture of herbs." Aramis placed his hat back on.

Athos nodded at the two before striding out of the room, not saying anything.

"What's his deal?" Porothos questioned his remaining friend.

"He's worried. He would never admit it, but he is beginning to care for D'artagnan." Aramis just smiled at the thought.

Athos was on his way out of the city while his friend set off. He spotted something no one else could in D'artagnan's room. A drawing of an all too familiar tree that Athos swore hadn't been in the Gascon's room prior. He knew that tree; it was the same tree his wife had 'hanged' from. Athos did not like the train of thought his mind was taking. He rode as fast as he dared. He did not want to stop because he wore his trusty steed down.

Time passed as quickly as the trees did on either side of him. He hardly noticed as he trotted through the all too familiar village. He finally came to his senses when he came to a stop by the burnt remains of his childhood home. He dismounted, going for a more stealthy approach. He made his way to the grove where the tree still stood. His heart quickened in pace when he spotted D'artagnan under the tree. A strong sense of deju vu rushed over the musketeer. The young man was standing on a wooden trolley, hands bound behind his back. A noose was loosely hanging over his neck, dried blood on his temple and his eyes was hazed over. In his long, dark hair, a forget-me-not was weaved in.

Athos rushed towards the injured man.

"I wouldn't move another step if I were you Athos." A silky voice called out as Milady de Winter appeared from behind the tree. The end of the rope that made D'artagnan's noose was wrapped around her left wrist. She lifted her foot up onto the edge of the trolley putting slight pressure on it.

"Don't!" Athos cried as his hand came up out of reflex.

"Don't test me Athos. You know I will do it. It would be such a waste however." Milady sighed like killing D'artagnan would be a tragic loss.

"Why him? "

"I wish to hurt you. I also have orders that if D'artagnan falls into the clutches of the Musketeers I was too kill him."

"What do I have to do?" Athos's heart lurched at the thought of D'artagnan dying, perishing in this way.

"A-Athos?" A very slurred voice questioned as D'artagnan appeared to regain some of his consciousness.

"I'm here D'artagnan, nothing is going to happen." Athos tried to ensure that the Gascon feel more at ease. The other man nodded his head slightly, showing the trust he had in Athos.

"You may not trust me, but I am truly sorry." Milady honestly said before everything took place at once.

Milady kicked the trolley out from under D'artagnan's feet while tightening the noose. Athos's gun was already in hand and the bullet flying towards Milady. She gasped in pain as blood bled into the fabric of the front of her desk. She fell backwards and Athos was already moving forward.

He quickly reached the dangling D'artagnan, drawing his sword and he lashed out at the rope. D'artagnan fell onto the grass in a heap. Athos fell next to his knee's next to his friend. He untied the noose from the young man's neck.

"Hey! Hey! D'artagnan!" Athos gently slapped the man's cheek as he cradled the younger man upright against his chest. Athos kept trying to wake the other man as panic welled up within him. Nothing was working and he felt around for a pulse. He found nothing. The forget-me-not fell out of D'artagnan's hair as the Gascon's body went limp in Athos's grip.

**D'artagnan was dead.**

* * *

Athos bolted up in his bed; his body was drenched in sweat. He was breathing heavily. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked around his bedroom. Empty wine bottles were scattered across the room. He shook his head and before he knew what he was doing he was getting dressed and armed. He quickly made his way to the musketeer barracks, scanning the area for D'artagnan.

He felt a weight lift from his heart when he spotted the young Gascon laughing with Aramis and Porothos.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to break out of the dark hole he has been living in!" Aramis clapped his friend on the shoulder as Athos sat next to D'artagnan. The heat coming off the young man next to him soothed any nerves that were frayed from the nightmare.

"How are you feeling?" D'artagnan asked in his usual soft tone.

"How are you?" Athos shot back.

"I am well." D'artagnan said confusion in his eyes.

"I am as well." That was all Athos was ready to offer up at the moment.

Athos swore he would never let what he dreamt became a reality. Maybe one day he would tell the man next to him, but today was not that day.

**FIN**


End file.
